Infant&#39;s folding bath stand and dressing table



Aug. 26, 1941. w. c. BAXTER ET AL 23 9 INFANT'S FOLDING BATH STAND AND DRESSING TABLE' Original Filed July ll, i940 2 Sheets-Sheet l 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORJ %23567- Aug. 26, 1941.

W. C. BAXTER ET AL INFANT'S FOLDING BATH STAND AND DRESSING TABLE Original Filed July ll, 1940 Patented Aug. 26, 1941 INFANT'S FOLDING BATH STAND AND DRESSING TABLE William C. Baxter, Rochester, and Charles T. De Puy, Brighton, N. Y., assignors to Trimble Nurseryland Furniture, Inc., Rochester, N. Y., a corporatiou of New York Original application July 1940. Serial No.

344,882. Divlied and this application February 12, 1941, Serial No. 378562 3 claims.

This invention relates to an infant's folding bath stand and dressing table of the general type including a collapsible tub and a dressing table positionable horizontally over the tub, or away from the tub to permit access to the latter, together with a utility shelf' pivotally mounted on the stand beneath the tub, and a hose connected with the bottom of the tub, and it has for its object to afford an improved construction of utility shelf enabling the latter to cooperate more emciently with the tub hose than in previous structures.

More particularly the invention has for its purpose to afford a construction and arrangement of utility shelf that is movable to either a horizontal position when in operation or to an upwardly inclined position when the stand is folded, and which serves to locate and maintain the vertical portion of the hose immediately beneath the tub and to accommodate and retain it in vertical position, regardiess of the location of the utility shelf.

In devices of this character as heretofore constructed, where a utility shelf has been employed, the portion of the hose connected with the tub has extended downwardly behind the shelf with nothing to maintain it in any given position, resulting in considerable friction and frequent buckling of the hose when the stand has been folded, and a more particular object of the invention is to so relate the utility shelf and hose by extending the vertical portion of the latterthrough an opening in the shelf as to 'accompanying drawings, the novel features being pointed out in the claims following the specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in rear elevation of a structure made in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention showing the foldable stand extended and with the dressing table and utility shelf in their horizontal or operative positions;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken just above the utility shelf and showing the latter in elevatlon; 4

Fig. 3 is an end elevation, with the utility shelf in horizontal position, and the dressing table in uprlght position;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view partially broken away, showing the parts in a position similar to Fig. 3, the utility shelf appearing in vertical section, and

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the stand whe folded. a

This application is a division of application Serial No. 344,882, filed July 11, 1940. The invention is shown as applied to a folding stand including a plurality of pivotally connected frames, two of which constitute leg frames while a third frame is pivotally mounted on one of the leg frames and serves to support a collapsible tub between it and the last mentioned leg frame.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the several views, in the construction illustrated, i designates a leg frame for supporting an infant's tub and dressing table in a manner that will appear presently, and 2 designates a second leg frame pivotally connected at its upper end to the leg frame i by means of sheet metal hinge members 3 which are adjustably attachable to the members of the leg frame i through the instrumentality of slots 4 and suitable fastening means, whereby the leg frame 2 can be used for supporting the tub and dressing table on a floor, as shown in Fig. 3, or may be adjusted upwardly when it is desirable to straddle the wall of a stationary tub, permittlng the leg frame i to rest on the floor and the leg frame 2 to rest on the bottom of the stationary tub.

The collapsible tub, which may be of rubber or other suitable flexible material, is designated at 5 and is supported between a cross-rail at the top of the leg frame I and a corresponding cross-rail at the top of a tub-supporting frame 6 which ls pivotally mounted on the leg frame l by means of sheet metal hinge members .1 secured to the lower ends of the members of the tub-supporting frame and pivoted to the members of the leg frame l at 8.

The tub may be collapsed and the tub-supporting frame 6 folded against the leg frame I, as shown in Fig. 5, and when in open position, the tub-supporting frame and tub are held against collapsing by means of the toggle links 9 pivotally connected at a central point and also connected to the members of the tub-supporting frame i at ll and to the members of the leg frame l at i I.

l2 designates the dressing table preferably i comprising a rectangular frame with a fabric a wire frame ,ii that is pivoted to the members of the leg frame I at their upper ends, and movable to occupy a vertical operative position at the rear of the dressing table l2 as n'Fig. 3, or to fold forwardly and downwardly against the dressing table when the stand is collapsed. as shown in Fig. 5. i

In order to move the dressing table to either its vertical or horizontal positions when the tub is in use, there is provided a treadle pivoted to one of the members of the legframe l at s, and including a foot-engaging portion s at its forward end and a foot-engaging portion 20 at its rear endpreferably in the form of a separate lug attached to the treadle. Connecting the rear end of the treadle with the dressing table is an operating rod 2 I, the upper end of which is connected to the dressing table at a point adjacent to the rear edge of the latter, the lower end of said rod being connected to the treadle at a point in vertical alinement with the foot-engaging portion 20.

When the dressing table is in the position illustrated in Fig. 3, it is lowered by engaging and pressing downwardly the forward foot-engaging portion s of the treadle, actuating the rear portion of the treadle and Operating rod upwardly and causing a corresponding upward movement of the rear edge of the dressing table. When the dressing table is in horizontal operative position, the rear foot-engaging portion 20 is in elevated position, and to raise the dressing table from such horizontal position, the rear foot-engaging portion 20 of the treadle is engaged and depressed.

22 designates a coil spring connected at its upper end to the rear edge of the dressing table and at its lower end to one of the members of the leg frame 2. The spring 22 acts to hold the dressing table in its vertical position shown in Fig. 3, it retards the downward movement of the dressing table when the latter is lowered, and it acts to hold the leg frame 2 slightly away from the leg frame I. as shown in Fig. 5, when the stand is folded and also to move the leg frame 2 readily to its open position when the leg frame I is tilted from the vertical position illustrated in Fig. 5 to the operative position illustrated in Fig. 3, thus assisting in setting up the stand when it is desired to' use the tub and dressing table.

In order to support various needed articles in a convenient and readily accessible position, there is provided a utility shelf located beneath the collapsible tub andarranged to be horizontally positioned when in use, and to fold upwardly when the stand is collapsed. This shelf is arranged to accommodate the conventional filling and drain hose that is connected with the tub, and so related to the hose as to maintain its vertical portion in proper position and not to buckle it or to !mose any undue friction or wear on the hose when the stand is folded.

In order to aceomplish this, the utility shelf includes a bottom 23 and side walls 23 which are pivoted at points 30 near. the rear edge of the shelf to the members of the leg frame I, permitting the shelf to be located in the horizontal position illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, or in the vertically inclined position illustrated in Fig. 5 when the stand is folded. The shelf is preferably.

pivoted at points adjacent or close to its rear edge so as to bring the accessible portion of 'the shelf as far forwardly as possible to make it conveniently accessible.- The shelf is supported horizontally by any suitable means, and preferably by means of a rail li extending between and secured to the members of the tub-supporting frame C. The supporting rail 3lislocated beneath and supports the forward part of the shelf, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, when the shelf is in horizontal or operative position.

The shelf is movable upwardly to a vertically inclined position when the stand is folded, as shown in Fig. 5, any suitable stop means being provided to limit such upward movement, and in the present construction the stop means referred to consists of pins 32 projecting inwardly from the members of the leg frame G so that when the latter is collapsed against the leg frame I ,the pim 32 are in the path of the side walls 29 of the shelf and serve to locate it in folded position, as shown in Fig. 5. The pins 32 also function as stops for the pivoted wire frame 33 that is provided with recessed portions to receive and hold the faucet and spray connections of the hose when not in use.

The hose includes a vertical portion 34 that is connected with the bottom of the tub, and two horizontal portions 35 and 36 which carry at their ends the faucet and spray connections already mentioned. Heretofore in such structures where a utility shelf has been employed, the vertical portion of the hose has extended downwardly in' rear of the shelf, and this has resulted in severe bending and buckling of the hose when the stand is folded, causing excessive wear and deterioration of the rubber.

To overcome this, the present invention' has been designed with a view to maintaining the vertical portion 34 of the hose in a practically vertical position at all times, and avoiding any substantial bending of the hose that would otherwise loosen or aflect its joint with the tub, or cause undue wear on the rubber. This is accomplished by extending the vertical portion of the hose through an opening in the utility shelf, the'shelf and opening being located in such a manner as to permit movement of the shelf to either of its extreme positions without materiaily affecting the position of the vertical portion of the hose, or its connection with the tub.

In the present structure, this is accomplished by locating an enlarged opening 33 in the bottom 23 of the utility shelf preferably near the rear thereof, with the vertical portion 34 of the hose extending through said opening, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The opening 33 is considerably larger than the hose, the latter occupying a position at the rear of the opening when the utility shelf is in horizontal position, and the opening 33 isof such size that when the shelf is moved upwardly to its vertically inclined position, the position of the vertical portion 34 of the hose is not materially afiected or changed. Only 4 stand is folded without materially changing' the a slight change in position of the hose is necessitated when the stand is folded, so that there is no buckling or excessive wear of the hose, or loosening of its joint with the tub. This arrangement also permits the clamp which is conventionally used in connection with the vertical portion 34 of the hose to be located above the utility shelf where it is Conveniently accessible and ls retained by the utility shclf.

This afiords a practical, eflicient, and convenient arrangement that maintains the vertical portion of the hose at all times in a more or less fixed position, protecting it against undue movement and wear or fracture, while at the same time contributing toan extremely convenient control of the hose by enabling one readily to reach a hose clamp above the utility shelf for controlling the filling and draining operations. i

While the invention has been described with reference to the details of construction herein disclosed, it is not limited to this particular arrangement, and the application is intended to cover any modifications or departures coming within the purposes of the improvement or the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

l. In an infant's folding bath stand, the' combination with a foldable support including pivotally connected frames and a collapsible'tub position of the vertical portion of the hose or buckling the same. v

2. In an infant's folding -bath stand, the combination with a foldable support including pivotally connected frames and a collapsible tub supported therebetween, of a shelf pivotally mounted on one of said frames and having an opening therein, said shelf being located beneath supported therebetween, of a shelf pivotally the tub and movable independently thereof, a horizontal rail carried by the other of said frames and aoting to support the shelf in horizontal position, and a hose connected with said tub and having a portion in permanent vertical alinement with and extending through the opening, said opening being larger than the hose and permitting the shelf to swing to its uppermost position when the stand is folded without materially changing the position of the hose or buckling the same.

3. In an infant's folding -bath stand, the combination with a foldable support including pivotally connected leg frames and a collapsible tub, of a shelf pivotally mounted on one of said leg frames and having an opening therein, said shelf being located beneath the tub and movable independently thereof, means for supporting the shelf in horizontal position, said shelf being movable from a horizontal position to an upwardly inclined position when the stand is collapsed, and a hose connected with said tub and having a portion permanently in vertical position and extending through the opening in the shelf, said opening being somewhat larger than the hose so as to permit 'moving the shelf to either of its extreme positions without materially changing the position of the vertical' portion of the hose or buckling the same.

WILLIAM C. BAX'I'EIR..

CHARLES T. Da PU'Y. 

